ART YOU CAN EAT

Where some see a grazing table, VECETO sees a blank canvas. Tauranga’s edible artist is turning food into immersive landscapes designed to be explored and remembered.

PHOTOS ALICE VEYSEY

Food is usually something we gather around to share and enjoy. For Tauranga creative and the founder of VECETO, it’s also a way to tell stories and bring people together through art. Artist Kerstin Pricken creates immersive edible installations inspired by memory and the landscapes of both New Zealand and Europe. Her work invites people to experience food as something to explore as well as eat. UNO spoke to her about creativity, storytelling, sustainability and the future of edible art.

UNO: When did you first realise that food could be a creative medium and not just something to eat?

Kerstin: I’ve always been interested in how people experience spaces and moments. Through my work in hospitality, design and sensory studies, I became fascinated by the way food can connect people emotionally. It carries memories and engages all of the senses at once. Over time, I realised food could be much more than something served on a plate. It became a creative medium that allowed me to combine storytelling and design. VECETO grew from that idea, using food as a three- dimensional canvas to create experiences people remember.

You often describe your installations as “edible landscapes” or “sensory journeys”. What does that mean in practice?

An edible landscape is essentially a large-scale installation built from food and natural materials. Rather than presenting food in a traditional way, I create environments that people move through and interact with. The sensory journey is what happens when guests engage with that space. Textures, colours, shapes and flavours all play a role. I enjoy creating moments where people aren’t immediately sure what they’re looking at, and where their perception shifts as they explore. As the installation is gradually eaten, it changes and evolves. The artwork becomes part of the experience itself.

Nature seems to play a strong role in your work. How does the natural environment shape your creative process today?

Nature is at the heart of everything I create. Growing up in Europe gave me an appreciation for rich textures, forests and seasonal changes, whereas New Zealand offers a completely different energy, like raw coastlines, volcanic landscapes and incredible light. I’m constantly observing patterns and natural forms. Those details often become the starting point for a project. I work with ingredients in their most natural state wherever possible, and allow the materials to guide the design. Instead of imposing an idea onto them, I like to respond to what already exists.

Your installations are intentionally temporary. What draws you to creating art that exists only for a moment?

I think there’s something incredibly powerful about creating an experience that can’t be repeated. The fact that the work disappears is part of what makes it special. Once guests begin interacting with it, the installation starts to transform. Eventually, it exists only as a memory. That sense of impermanence encourages people to be fully present in the moment. While photographs and film help document the work, they’re never quite the same as being there. Forme, that’s part of the beauty of it.

There’s a strong theatrical element to your events. How important is storytelling?

Storytelling is the foundation of every project. Whether I’m working with a brand or a private client, there’s always a narrative at the centre. My role is to translate that story into a physical experience people can step into. Everything contributes to the overall feeling, including the layout, the lighting, the ingredients, the colours and even the way guests move through the space. I want people not to simply observe, but to feel immersed. When that happens, the story becomes something they experience, rather than something they’re told.

Sustainability and plant-based ingredients are central to your practice. How do those values influence your work?

For me, it begins with the materials themselves. Plants, minerals and natural ingredients offer an incredible range of textures, colours and forms. They’re endlessly inspiring to work with creatively. The fact that they’re also accessible and widely understood helps make the work inclusive. People don’t need specialist knowledge to connect with what they’re seeing or tasting – the ingredients speak for themselves. Sustainability is naturally part of that process. Working closely with seasonal and locally available ingredients encourages a more thoughtful approach and helps reduce unnecessary waste.

How has being based in Tauranga influenced your work, and what opportunities do you see locally for edible art?

Tauranga is an interesting place to be creative right now. There’s a growing appreciation for both food and the arts, and people are increasingly open to new experiences. The surrounding environment is a huge source of inspiration. The coastline, native landscapes and seasonal produce all influence my work in different ways. At the same time, being based here allows me to bring ideas from international design and hospitality into a local context. I think there’s enormous potential for immersive food experiences, particularly in events, cultural projects and brand activations. People are looking for experiences that feel memorable and meaningful, and edible art offers a unique way to create that.

VECETO.COM

BEYOND BIG CITIES AND BEYOND THE PLATE

Michelin has created an appetite our food columnist Rae Baker sees as an opportunity. How about we band together to show what our food culture’s made of?

PHOTO TOURISM BAY OF PLENTY

The arrival of the Michelin Guide in New Zealand has generated plenty of excitement, and rightly so. Internationally, a Michelin recommendation or star can transform a restaurant’s reputation, attract global visitors and elevate an entire country’s culinary profile.

For New Zealand, it’s another chance to showcase our food story on the world stage, but although much of the conversation has centred on which restaurants might earn recognition, I think the bigger opportunity lies elsewhere. It’s with the regions.

Tourism New Zealand has identified food and beverages as a key driver of international visitation, recognising that today’s travellers increasingly choose destinations based on the experiences they’ll have, not just the sights they’ll see. Food has become one of those experiences. Visitors want to discover local produce, meet the people behind it and experience the flavours that define a place.

Michelin has the potential to put New Zealand on more international itineraries. The question is: once visitors decide to come, how do we encourage them to travel beyond our major cities?

That’s where our beautiful Bay of Plenty has a genuine opportunity to shine. We’re fortunate to have many of the ingredients already in place: a thriving horticulture sector, innovative producers, talented chefs, award- winning restaurants, boutique breweries and distilleries, bustling farmers’ markets and a climate that allows incredible produce to flourish almost year-round. More importantly, we have something visitors are increasingly seeking: authenticity and manaakitanga (hospitality, generosity...) in abundance.

The Bay of Plenty has never tried to be a fine-dining capital – and that might be one of its greatest strengths. Our food culture is relaxed, welcoming and deeply connected to the people and the landscape that produces it. Whether it’s sharing a long lunch overlooking the ocean or meeting the grower behind the ingredients on your plate, our hospitality reflects the lifestyle that makes this region special.

The challenge isn’t creating great food experiences, it’s making them easy to discover. This is where regionalcollaboration becomes so important. Food trails, seasonal campaigns, destination marketing, accommodation packages, festivals and events all help visitors to see the bigger picture. Rather than promoting individual venues in isolation, they create a compelling reason to spend another night, explore another town or venture a little further off the beaten track.

Events such as Flavours of Plenty have already demonstrated what’s possible when an entire region comes together to celebrate its food identity. By connecting producers, chefs, hospitality businesses and communities, they offer visitors something they can’t replicate elsewhere – a genuine taste of place.

As Michelin shines a brighter spotlight on New Zealand’s culinary credentials, the Bay of Plenty has an opportunity to ensure our region is part of that story – not by trying to imitate the world’s dining capitals, but by confidently showcasing what makes our own food culture distinctive. After all, people don’t travel to the Bay for a single restaurant. They come for the beaches, the orchards, the sunshine, the hospitality and the lifestyle. Great food simply brings those experiences together.

Perhaps that’s the opportunity Michelin presents – not to chase stars, but to give more people a reason to discover everything else that’s waiting beyond the city limits.

NOW YOU SEE THEM

But many don’t, which is just the way the makers of the mounts propping up the displays at Tauranga Museum like it.

WORDS JO-MARIE BAKER / PHOTOS MICHAL PINKERTON + SUPPLIED

When Tauranga Museum opens in 2028, visitors will marvel at the taonga and objects on display. What they probably won’t notice are the hundreds of bespoke mounts that support them.

That’s exactly how specialist mount maker Den Feaver measures success. With more than 30 years’ experience creating mounts for New Zealand’s leading museums, Den, of Feaver Museum Service, is working with Tauranga Museum’s exhibition team to make custom supports for hundreds of objects destined for permanent display, while passing his specialist skills on to collection specialist Chelsea Tairi.

Objects range from tiny obsidian shards and shark-tooth fishhooks to historical surfboards and a 3.5m plaster cast of a broadbill swordfish. Mounts for displaying them are typically crafted from stainless steel into bespoke brackets or armatures designed to hold objects securely while disappearing into the background.

Den’s mount-making career began almost by chance. While photographing a ceramics collection in New Plymouth, he stopped to help an artist install another exhibition and was subsequently offered a technician’s role.

Den says good mount makers need fine motor skills, attention to detail and, above all, empathy for the objects they’re handling. “A good mount is the mount you don’t see, one that keeps the object safe and puts it in a positive light. And if you do see it, it needs to accentuate the environment, rather than detract from it.”

Whether he’s handling a plastic cup from the 1970s or an irreplaceable taonga, Den says every object deserves exactly the same care and respect.

Over the coming months, Den and Chelsea will work side by side to create hundreds of bespoke mounts. She’s looking forward to picking up skills as the project progresses.

“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity,” she says. “Sharing the responsibility of mounting the taonga and objects that will be on display in our new museum is very exciting, and I’m lucky to be part of that. I’m really excited to soak up everything I possibly can from Dennis.”

After 15 years working in museums, Chelsea says she’s become fascinated by the craft of mount making. The unsung heroes of the permanent displays being developed for Tauranga Museum will prop up taonga Māori, social history and contemporary objects, all carefully curated to tell fascinating stories of our region’s past and present.

LETSTALK.TAURANGA.GOVT.NZ/PROJECTS/ TAURANGA-MUSEUM

Art of the city

A $3 million commitment to public art is set to redefine Tauranga’s public spaces.

Words | Monique Balvert-O’Connor
Photos | Anne Shirley + Sam Hartnett

Public art humanises the built environment, sparking community engagement and fostering appreciation for creativity. Now Tauranga is set to become a destination renowned for public art, thanks to a just-launched Public Art Framework.

Tauranga city’s commissioners have adopted a “bold and ambitious” new plan for public art, dedicating up to $3 million toward undertaking major public art commissions over the coming years – works of scale and vision the likes of which the city hasn’t seen before.

Tauranga City Council’s arts and culture manager James Wilson says the plan is to build a world-leading collection of public art, and to invest in developing local artists and the community to create “incredible” new pieces and installations, all of which will help make Tauranga a destination renowned for its public art.

“The framework has been developed alongside a wide range of Tauranga artists and arts organisations, and I’m hugely excited by what this will enable for the city. It is focused on shining a light on the stories of our city – working with artists and communities to give visibility to Tauranga’s stories, and to create a sense of place and belonging, by bringing great public art to our re-imagined public spaces,” James says.

Especially wonderful, James says, is the fact public art is the most accessible of art – works the whole community can engage with, without having to buy a ticket, or cross an art gallery entrance.

Freelance art consultant and curator Ellie Smith, who has been involved in developing the new framework through Supercut Projects, says the public can expect an invigoration of Tauranga’s artistic landscape. Think: Lightboxes, sculpture, pop-up installations, light works, participatory works, creative hoardings and ngā toi Māori in all its forms. All this as well as still supporting and encouraging community and temporary installations such as murals, she says.

The framework involves a region-wide view. There will be significant commissioning of work for downtown Tauranga, yet inspiring pieces of public art will also be placed at the Mount, Greerton, Pyes Pa, and other significant locations. The Framework includes a 10 Year Master Plan which will map public art activity, in step with city-wide development and Tauranga City Council’s Long-Term Plan. 

“Our city has been going through some growing pains, but I am so excited to see how this transforms Tauranga,” Ellie says.

She’s noted both hunger and support in the community for this ambitious undertaking, which comes with many benefits. It is globally recognised that cities succeed both economically and in wellbeing statistics when arts and culture are prioritised. 

“The Public Art Framework will contribute to the local economy, give opportunities to local artists, and give space for mana whenua to tell their narratives. It will add to the city’s vibrancy and also show domestic and international visitors that the city is about more than solely a beach,” Ellie says.

Incubator director Simone Anderson says the new Public Art Framework
and arts investment gives reassurance that Tauranga can “begin the game of catch-up.”

“We can become a city where arts are not considered an indulgence but
a necessary ingredient to nourish our city’s identity and to encourage and welcome expressions of culture and storytelling,” she says.

The new framework aims to enable projects that will explore the diverse cultural narratives of the city. This has been met with enthusiasm by Julie Paama-Pengally, who chairs Te Tuhi Mareikura Trust – an organisation committed to building the capacity of Māori artists and enhancing the contribution of Māori to Tauranga Moana.

“I believe this is an opportunity to bring to life, in unique ways, the significant legacy of Māori visual language. In articulating the rich art traditions of Aotearoa, New Zealand, Māori have so much value to add to this space.

“For our Māori artists and the community, this will be an important expression of a Māori arts legacy for future generations. Our landscape will reflect our aspirations as artists, as people, as a unique destination in the world, and as a place that reflects its people,” she says.

The Public Art Fund will open on July 1 next year, but Tauranga will welcome new public art before then. A work called Kōwhai Grove by Bobbie Gray has been commissioned, opening over King’s Birthday weekend. It will be installed down a laneway off Grey Street. There are also some other significant Tauranga City Council-led projects in the works – check out the app City Art Walk Tauranga.

Artists wishing to know more about the commissioning process (and the support available) can contact Council’s Arts & Culture team at: publicart@tauranga.govt.nz

Taaniko: the woman behind the mural

WORDS Laura McCleannan PHOTOS Tracie Heasman

If you’ve driven down Totara Street recently, chances are you’ve seen it. A young Māori woman’s striking features, painted by famous Irish street artist Fin DAC, embellish a 7-metre-high wall in what has become one of The Mount’s most recognisable murals. Her hair is wild, her stance strong, and her eyes are a clever reflection of Mauao in the distance (if you look close enough). Her name is Taaniko Nordstrom. She’s the model, artist, and entrepreneur behind Soldiers Rd Portraits – a unique Māori portraiture business that Taaniko runs with her sister-in-law, Vienna, in Cambridge.

“People don’t realise it’s me, until they see me wear the moko,” Taaniko explains during our photoshoot. Seeing the two faces side by side, however, it’s clear Fin is one helluva talented artist. He first flew to New Zealand in 2015, in search of a muse for the Mount Maunganui Street Art Festival. “His usual aesthetic is Asian women,” Taaniko says, “but he wanted to paint someone indigenous. He googled ‘Māori woman portrait’, and my face came up. I said yes straight away because I knew it would be a statement – a Māori woman with a moko in the middle of The Mount? How cool!

“Fin didn’t know anything about the Māori culture, be he wanted to learn. So when he started to paint the mural, I came to Waiata Tautoko, and sang for him. I told him this is how we show support in our culture, and he was blown away. After getting to know me a bit better, Fin felt like my hair needed to be wilder, so he went back and changed it. We really vibed as artists.”

While Fin was painting her, Taaniko was trying to keep up with her own portraiture business, which was exploding in New Zealand as well as internationally. “I’m the typical Kiwi entrepreneur story – I got back from travelling in 2013 and was dirt broke. Mum is an artist so we always had portraits of native American chiefs on the wall. But it wasn’t until I saw the original photos of these chiefs (at the Smithsonian in New York) that I started thinking about photos of Māori leaders. I wanted to bring them to life in some way.

“When I got home I went to the op shop and asked mum to help me whip up some old-school korowai (cloaks), piupiu (skirts) and collars. I got dressed, went into the shed, drew a moko on myself, and took a photo on my iPad. I aged the photo with a filter and chucked it on Facebook. Almost immediately I had people asking where I had the photo taken and how much it cost. I was like, what? People would pay for this?!

“I called Vienna and told her to bring her camera to the Kawhia Kai Festival. She’d never done a portrait before – she’s a landscape photographer. But she loved the idea, so we packed up a big suitcase of props and an old broken gazebo, and set up a stall. It was completely hotchpotch – our backdrop was a duvet cover from the Sallies in Cambridge. We did over 40 portraits that day, and two days later we rocked up at the South Auckland market and did another 50 portraits. The rest is history.”

“We’ve moko’d up kids in a New York subway, a barber shop in Brooklyn, and couples under the Eiffel Tower. We got a lot of attention quite quickly because no one does what we do.”

In true laid-back kiwi style, Taaniko didn’t even organise market stalls – they just turned up and sweet-talked their way in. I suppose tenacity is a given with six older brothers. “My family have always encouraged me to be proud of my culture and to think outside the square. In fact, the name Soldiers Rd was inspired by memories of travelling to The Mount from Cambridge as a child. Whenever we’d pass Soldiers Rd at the bottom of the Kaimais, Mum would ask us what we thought the name meant. I thought it represented someone’s story, or their journey through life. When we first started editing our portraits, all of the eyes looked so defiant. Immediately I thought of Soldiers Rd, and the name stuck.”

From homeless men on the street to the Duchess of Austria on her private yacht, Taaniko’s shot thousands of people, and her work has taken her across the globe. “We ran Soldiers Rd from Papamoa for a year and have a studio in Cambridge, but our whole business packs into two bags, so we’re always travelling. We’ve moko’d up kids in a New York subway, a barber shop in Brooklyn, and couples under the Eiffel Tower. We got a lot of attention quite quickly because no one does what we do – no one had taken moko off kapa haka stages and used it in a completely different space.” So, what’s the Soldiers Rd experience like? “It’s authentic,” Taaniko explains, “but it’s also a modern take, because we shoot all nationalities. Whether you’re brown, white, yellow or green, the first thing we do is whakawhanaungatanga – we talk about where we’re from and establish a relationship. I start styling as soon as people walk in the door. But this connection sets the vibe for the day, and that's the most important part. If I can’t connect with the person and make them feel proud of who they are, their eyes will look dead in the photo. I have half an hour to mould a mind and create a story. The fastest part is taking the photo!” She’s not a trained makeup artist or hairstylist, but Taaniko credits her love of fashion and time as a flight attendant for her beauty and styling skills. “We dress clients, style their hair and use a stencil to do a temporary moko. The stencils have been blessed for the purpose of reuse. All of our props are from op shops or old theatres. I chop them up and use big clips from Bunnings to keep clothing in place.”

Taaniko is proudly contributing to a resurgence of Māori culture in New Zealand. If you haven’t seen her on Totara Street yet, look up next time you drive away from The Mount. “Twenty years ago, it wasn’t possible to have a job that paid me to inspire Māori and non-Māori through Māori culture. I’m so excited to think that my kids will grow up surrounded by Kiwis with a connection to our important culture. Everyone has a legacy and a story, and my favourite thing about Soldiers Rd is that I get to visually capture it for people.”

soldiersrd.nz